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2022 Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards

Ireland’s Restaurant, Chef, Hideaway and Pub of the Year announced in end-of-year celebration of Irish food and hospitality

From Ireland’s hospitality leaders, best hotels, fine dining and seafood to casual dining favourites and the most pet-friendly destination, winners of Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards 2022 are announced

• Richard Corrigan is hailed Ireland’s Hospitality Hero
• Niall McKenna, James Street South Group, Belfast, receives the ‘Movers & Shakers’ Award
• Lignum, Co Galway is Restaurant of the Year
• Chef of the Year awarded to Garrett Byrne Campagne Restaurant Kilkenny
• Cronin’s Pub, Crosshaven, Co Cork, announced Pub of the Year
• Carbery Cottage Guest Lodge, West Cork is Ireland’s Pet Friendly Destination
• Family Friendly Hotel of the Year is Doonmore Hotel Inishbofin Co Galway
• Newcomer of the Year title goes to Alumni Kitchen Table & Rooms Co Kildare
• ‘Happy Place‘ Award for Gaz Smith, Michaels & Big Mikes, Co Dublin
• Six selected for this year’s special Casual Dining awards group

28th December 2022: Representing the four corners of Ireland, the winners of the 2022 Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards have been announced.

Celebrating 24 years in their current incarnation, the Georgina Campbell Awards recognise and honour Ireland’s standard-bearers in food and hospitality in Ireland with particular focus, this year, on those who have maintained standards across the board in the face of post-pandemic energy and staffing crises, among many other challenges – and the brave newcomers who, against the odds, continue to delight with inspiring new businesses.

Niall McKenna (left) with Cathal Duncan (centre), Waterman House Cookery School chef, and Aaron McNeice (right), new head chef at Waterman

Flying the flag for excellence - celebrating our true professionals
This year in hospitality could probably be seen as something of a triumph of hope over expectation. Despite everything we have gone through in recent years, Ireland’s food, tourism and hospitality continues to be an exciting and ever-developing story. Widespread closures were predicted as we came out of the worst part of the pandemic early this year, but the sheer resilience of the industry in the face of massive challenges is extraordinary. There have been losses and those business are much-missed, especially when family-owned, but the big surprise is not only how well many are coping, but how many exciting new businesses continue to open. Far from just surviving, the emphasis for many is now on ‘Recover, Recreate & Rebuild’ and it is great to see..

And, although a tendency towards rising prices and falling standards is an inevitable consequence of financial challenges and staff shortages, the determination of many true professionals to keep flying the flag for excellence at all levels is reflected in this year’s award selections. At the top end we see this in establishments like our Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year – one recently opened, the other an industry stalwart, both proving that fine dining is still very much alive and well – but we have also focused especially on casual dining this year, as mid-range quality is especially relevant to diners in these straitened times. Interestingly however – perhaps still reflecting pent-up appetite post-pandemic - the demand for luxury travel is very high, with visitors constantly requesting luxury properties including top five star hotels, private drivers, one-off experiences, golfing, and country activities like game shooting. And, of course, even the most privileged travellers need the smaller experiences as well as the grand stays (of which the gorgeous new Cashel Palace Hotel is already becoming a favourite destination), so quality in smaller establishments like cafés and bakeries is appreciated by such visitors as much as by discerning domestic travellers and diners.

Sustainability
This year, we have again been looking particularly at sustainable development – a topic which is now focusing minds mightily and the art of reinvention is in top gear. As Niall Rochford, General Manager of Ashford Castle and The Lodge at Ashford Castle, said last year, “2021 will be the year of reimagining”. It was, and thankfullyit has been a strongly growing trend throughout 2022. And, encouragingly - as is reflected in our awards selections - it is reimagining with the experience of the pandemic as a backdrop and a sense that we can not only do things differently, but also very much better.

Sourcing and provenance
Ongoing improvements in sourcing policies have been noted all around the country this year and it’s pleasing to see the Eat Local aspirations become more of a reality. The pandemic and the need to support our local communities has made provenance even more important to us all and it is good to see more establishments highlighting the origin of produce on their menus, thereby speeding up the move towards greater sustainability as well as supporting Irish suppliers and growing the future of Ireland as a food tourism destination.

The Irish Breakfast
With its social distancing requirements and a ban on the buffet, the traditional Irish Breakfast as we know it virtually disappeared during the pandemic. But it is making a comeback and we have highlighted a few of the best in this year’s awards selection - and hope to bring back our popular standalone Irish Breakfast Awards next year.

THE SELECTION PROCESS
Georgina Campbell’s Ireland’s rigorous programme of anonymous assessment visits is a year-round process and winners are nominated solely by an independent assessment team.

Media inquiries: Georgina Campbell, Editor, Georgina Campbell’s Guides
E: info@ireland-guide.com